“In the ordinary business of life, industry can do anything that genius can do, and very many things which it cannot.” – Henry Ward Beecher
The definition of the term ‘Industries’ – when viewed as a complex of systems, sub-systems, processes, sub-processes, and structures – represents an integral part of national economies in contemporary times. The industrial sector typically teams with the services sector to represent very large segments of economic activity that power the growth of gross domestic product in national landscapes. Based on these facts, the classification of industries emerges as a requirement when we seek to delineate different types of industrial activity that exist today.
Such classification is also necessary because it enables national governments to plan the growth/expansion of different forms of industrial activity, create a slew of employment opportunities for populations, invite foreign partners to set up industrial units and production factories, monitor/regulate the growth of startups and high-tech industries, promote the salient principles that power economic growth of the nation state, and contribute to the expansion of different aspects of modern industrial civilization. In this context, we may consider using connected, expansive illustrations and blueprints – such as flowcharts – to analyze various aspects of classification of industries.
Basic versions/expressions/editions of flowcharts can help develop the classification of industries into primary industries and secondary forms of industrial activity. This stance enables students of industrial policy to envisage scenarios wherein primary industries – also known as core industries – represent the manifest industrial mettle of nations; these forms of industrial activity allow national economies to cater to the basic requirements of civilian populations, perform in export markets, earn precious foreign exchange, build expanses of industrial landscape, and participate in international trade and commerce. We must note such flowcharts can spotlight a binary mechanism, one that projects the classification of industries into distinct buckets. Thereafter, ancillary industrial activities (which cater to primary industries) may emerge inside the illustration to complete the proverbial picture. Designers of the emerging diagram must endeavor to depict accuracy in such ventures, thereby creating a complete visual representation of the headline.
When we survey the domain of digital, we may impose classification of industries in terms of the many uses of data to drive commercial activity. A flowchart designed for the purpose could project many points of impact – such as sales and marketing, software development, data analytics, digital customer service platforms, image recognition techniques, process automation, text-based analytics, robotics, the Internet of Things, and others. This format of classification of industries remains at variance with traditional paradigms; however, such departures are necessary, prompted by emerging trends that position data at the center of the modern industrial universe. Therefore, we must consider the flowchart described above as apt expression of the variety of evolved industrial activity operating in contemporary times. Further, the evolution of technology in future could add functional layers to the flowchart, enabling analysts to construct diversified/tiered diagrammatic representations of classification of industries.
Further to the above, analysts may undertake the classification of industries in terms of specific applications of digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI). This stance assumes importance because AI has established a growing presence in modern industrial and technological landscapes. Some observers note this version of technology may drive the creation of certain aspects of post-industrial structures, and therefore, classification of industries based on AI could help readers assess the direction of industrial development in future. Flowcharts designed for the purpose could depict a detailed image populated by emerging areas such as algorithm-driven stock market trading, data processing of patient information, activities such as text query of images, object detection and classification, automated geophysical feature detection, contract analysis, among others. The resulting image gains additional value when analysts input the quantum of estimated expenditure these elements could attract in decades to come. Hence, the completed flowchart could find relevance as a document that offers intelligent insights into the industrial future.
Primary industries find their base in the extraction of raw materials – such as crops, minerals, forest products, value/elements extracted from riverine and marine environments, among others. This form of classification of industries can be mated to downstream analysis in terms of different nations, regions, and continents. For instance, analysts could construct flowcharts that depict the interaction of primary industries with the populations and economies of different countries. Such an illustration could find expression as vertical representations of information; in the developed nations, primary industries typically contribute less than 4% of annual GDP, while the corresponding number in developing nations stands at 10% (or higher). In terms of employment, primary industries offer livelihoods to roughly 6% if the population in developed countries, but that number may climb to 50% in the case of developing nations. In addition, primary industries find motive forces in technological elements in developed nations, while developing countries typically exhibit low quanta of tech application. The flowchart that results from such analysis creates a detailed image of the classification of industries in different sections of the planet.
A survey of the modern chemicals industry could emerge through a detailed pie chart etched inside flowcharts. Such a technique to drive the classification of industries must consider the broad range of products that emerge from the chemicals industry; designers of the pie chart could also trace connections between the range of products and their various applications in different parts of national/regional/local economies. We note such a flowchart must retain a sharp focus on chemicals, additives, organic chemicals, specialty products, among others. The information cascading from segments of the pie chart enables readers to appreciate the key role of chemicals in every aspect of modern lives of human populations. The flowchart also remains instrumental when statistics of production find embedment inside the illustration. Further, higher levels of detail could emerge inside flowcharts when designers work to include technical aspects of different chemical products.
The participation of small business enterprises in a nation’s industrial activity could reveal interesting insights into current trends in economic development. Flowcharts remain instrumental in encasing detailed information in such editions of classification of industries. For instance, a recent study indicates 4% participation of small enterprises in the sectors of manufacturing, agriculture, and mining. The number climbs to 9% in the domain of healthcare and social assistance, while real estate, rentals, and leasing attract 10% participation from small business operators. Professional, scientific, and technical services attract higher levels (14%), thereby painting an image marked by incremental participation of small business operators. We may note the completed flowchart presents a diverse landscape of industrial activity; it presents an interesting narrative that indicates an uptick in intersections between small business operators and mainstream industrial/commercial activities. We may state this bodes well for the future of trade and industry in different sections of the global economy. It also indicates a closer integration between grassroots economic activities and mainstream businesses.
The ruminations encased in these paragraphs demonstrate the utility of inter-connected diagrams and illustrations when architects embark on voyages of classifying industries and industrial activity. In this regard, we must consider innovations in design thinking as a technique to boost the functional aspects of such endeavors; such intent can spur significant advances in acts of capturing and transmitting visual information to readers and reviewers. Further, flowcharts can present a wide selection of tools that empower designers to mold flows of information. In doing so, this category of tiered illustrations can help humankind to attain vistas in the future.
